Orchestra / Ensemble(s): St Louis Symphony Orchestra
Date of Release: 10/11/2003
Label / Distributor: Red Seal / BMG UK
Pieces in Set: 6
Running Time: 6 hours 17 minutes
Genre(s): Stage works
Stereo: Stereo
EAN: 828765570725
Catalogue Number: 82876
Work 1
Work Title: (The) Nutcracker, Op. 71
Excerpt(s): 1. Miniature Overture; ACT 1 - Decoration of the Christmas Tree 2. March 3. Children's Galop and Entry of the Parents 4. Arrival of Drosselmayer 5. The Nutcracker and Grandfather Dance 6. Departure of the guests - Night 7. The Battle and Transformation Scene 8. The forest of fir trees in Winter (Journey through the snow) 9. Waltz of the Snowflakes 10. ACT 2 - The Enchanted Palace of the Kingdom of Sweets (The magic castle) 11. Arrival of Clara and the Nutcracker 12. Divertissement: 13. Chocolate (Spanish Dance); Coffee (Arab Dance); Tea (Chinese Dance); Trepak (Russian Dance); Dance of the Mirlitons (Flu 14. Waltz of the Flowers 15. Pas de deux (The Prince and the Sugar-Plum Fairy); Variation I (Tarantella); Variation II (Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy 16. Final Waltz and Apotheosis. 17. ADDITIONAL ITEM FOR DIVERTISSEMENT_Gigue (English Dance): orch Lanchbery.
Composer: Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky (1840 - 1893)
Genre: Stage works
Date Written: 1892
Conductor: Leonard Slatkin
Orchestra / Ensemble: St Louis Symphony Orchestra
Work 2
Work Title: (The) Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66
Excerpt(s): 1. Introduction 2. PROLOGUE - Entrance of King and Court 3. Dance Scene_Entrance of Fairies 4. Pas de Six_Fairies present gifts 5. Intrada; Adagio (Allegro vivo); Variation I_Candite; Variation II_Coulante; Variation III_Falling crumbs; Variation IV_S 6. Finale_La Fée des lilas sort 7. ACT 1 - Scene_The Palace Garden 8. Valse 9. Scene_The Four Princes 10. Pas d'action: 11. Introduction (Andante) and Adagio ('Rose Adagio'); Dance of Maids of Honour and Pages; Variation d'Aurore (with vn solo) 12. Finale_La Fée des lilas paraît 13. ACT 2 - Entr'acte and Scene 14. Colin-Maillard_Allegro vivo 15. Scene (Moderato); Danse des duchesses (Minuet); Danse des baronnes (Gavotte); Danse des comtesses; Danse de marquises 16. Farandole; Danse (Tempo di Mazurka) 17. Scene_Arrival of Huntsmen 18. Coda 19. Pas d'action ('Vision' with vc solo); Variation d'Aurore (Allegro comodo) 20. Scene_Allegro agitato 21. Panorama (Andantino) 22. Entr'acte (Andante sostenuto) 23. Entr'acte and Scene_Aurora's sleep; Finale_Allegro agitato (Breaking of spell) 24. ACT 3 - Marche 25. Polacca (Allegro moderato) 29. Pas de quatre: 27. Intrada (Allegro non tanto); Variation I_Valse; Variation II_Polka (Silver Fairy); Variation III_Saphir; Variation IV_Di 28. Pas de caractère_Puss in Boots 30. Adagio (with fl solo); Variation I_Cinderella and Prince (Waltz); Variations II_Bluebird and Florisse; Coda 31. Pas de caractère (Red Riding Hood) 32. Pas berrichon (Hop 'o my Thumb); Cinderella and Prince Fortune (Allegro and Waltz) 33. Pas de deux: 34. Intrada; Adagio; Variation I_Prince; Variation II (Aurora); Coda_Allegro vivace (The Three Ivans) 35. Sarabande 36. Finale: 37. Allegro brillante (Mazurka); Apotheosis_Andante molto maestoso
Composer: Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky (1840 - 1893)
Genre: Stage works
Date Written: 1890
Conductor: Leonard Slatkin
Orchestra / Ensemble: St Louis Symphony Orchestra
Work 3
Work Title: Swan Lake, Op. 20
Excerpt(s): 1. Introduction 2. ACT 1 - Opening Scene (Allegro giusto) 3. Waltz in A flat (Corps de Ballet) 4. Scene_Entrance of Pages (Allegro moderato) 5. Pas de trois: 6. Intrada (Allegro moderato); Pas de trois I (Andante sostenuto); Pas de trois II (Allegro semplice_Presto); Pas de trois 7. Pas de deux (items comprising this number sometimes appear in Act 3): 8. Intrada_Waltz in D; Pas de deux I (Andante, or Adagio); Pas de deux II_Waltz in B flat; Coda (Allegro molto vivace) 9. Pas d'action (andantino quasi moderato_Allegro) 10. Scene_Dusk falls 11. Danse des coupes_Polonaise (Temmpo di polacca) 12. Finale_Swan theme (Andante) 13. ACT 2 - Scene_Swan theme (Moderato) 14. Scene_Benno's entry (Allegro moderato_Allegro vivo) 15. Scène (Allegro) 16. Danses des cygnes 17. I_Waltz in A; II_First Dance of the Queen (Moderato assai_Molto più mosso); III_Danse générale (Waltz in A flat); IV_Dan 18. Scene_Swan theme (Moderato) 19. ACT 3 - Scene_Danse de fançailles (Allegro giusto) 20. Danses du corps de ballet et des nains 21. Scene: La sortie des invités (Fanfares) et la valse (A fla 22. Scène (Allegro_Allegro giusto) 23. Pas de six: 24. Intrada_Moderato assai; Variation 1 (Allegro); Variation 2 (Andante con moto); Variation 3 (Moderato); Variation 4 (Alle 25. Pas de deux (supplementary number); Danse hongroise (Czárdás); Danse russe (supplementary number) 26. Danse espagnole 27. Danse napolitaine 28. Mazurka 29. Scene (Allegro_Valse_Allegro vivo) 30. ACT 4 - Entr'acte (Moderato) 31. Scene (Allegro ma non troppo) 32. Danses des petits cynges (Moderato) 33. Scene (Allegro agitato) 34. Scene finale (Andante); Allegro agitato; Alla breve (Moderato e maestoso).
Advantages: Very exciting and powerful piece of emotional hysteria Disadvantages: If you're obsessed with classical form and beauty, then this might just be too much
...preceded this more famous overture. Tchaikovsky was a firm believer in fate (or "Fatum" as he referred it). His battle with Fatum (in a very Beethovenian sense) would be central to his entire life and this also reflected in his work. In 1868, Tchaikovsky encapsulated his beliefs in a concert overture entitled "Fatum." It was not received favourably and was not published until following the composer's death, which is understandable since the work is pretty insubstantial and mediocre. But it did serve as a foreshadowing of the composer's later Fate Symphonies.
A TIME OF HARDSHIP
1877 was a year of profound unhappiness for Tchaikovsky. The premiere of his great ballet Swan Lake was a dismal failure, although the cold reception would soon turn into more favourable acceptance. His struggle with his homosexuality, something that was considered...
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Advantages: Beautiful, carefree winding melodies, memorable sequences, wonderful for the christmas season. Disadvantages: Absolutely none.
...Introduction
The Nutcracker Ballet remains the most popular of
Tchaikovsky's later works, despite being released to low acclaim during the 1890's it grew into one of the most renowned and loved classical compositions to date.
Indeed, even Disney created a feature film : Fantasia, which featured Mickey Mouse as a wizards apprentice, his actions backed by the various themes from the Nutcracker ballad.
Throughout last century and through into this one, the Nutcracker has proven popular in concerts all over the world, the ballad soon gained a reputation as a festive ballad, in part due to the light and airy melodies heard throughout the entire piece that excellently compliment the festive tale.
Thus, most concerts run from late November through until early January. Ticket prices vary, ranging from around a tenner to fifty...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Exquisite dance music. A fesrive fantasia. Disadvantages: A little too fast moving
...With all the festivities of Christmas now begun, we are bombarded with advertisements of Christmas Films, Pantomimes and CDs. Among these, and often overlooked, is The Nutcracker composed by Peter Llyich Tchaikovsky.
Tchaikovsky was already well known for his Ballet music when he composed the music for the Nutcracker in 1892 with compositions for Swan Lake and The Sleeping Beauty already completed. Both had, however, been unfavourably received by the contemporary audiences and critics, Not discouraged, the director of The Imperial Theatre in St. Petersburg, Vsevolozhsky commissioned Tchaikovsky to compose another ballet.
Vsevolozhsky himself suggested that an adaptation of E. T. A. Hoffmann’s story, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by Alexander Dumas, be used as a subject for the ballet. Tchaikovsky was not originally impressed...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
very helpful 04.12.2004
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